The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 247 A Hundred Beasts Clear the Way, Pretending to be Weak to Deceive the Tiger
The hills rise high, the peaks are steep, and the snow-capped mountains loom overhead, so high that they seem about to collapse.

Zhou Yan's gaze gradually moved down from the peak where clouds and snow seemed to engulf each other, until he saw rugged rocks with a cold, austere color, strangely shaped, like a forest of ten thousand spears. Then, his eyes fell on the lake in the valley, filled with sunlight, rippling in the morning breeze.

The Manor of Ten Thousand Beasts is hidden on the edge of a primeval forest composed of spruce, juniper, and poplar trees in the valley.

The manor is located deep in the Qilian Mountains west of Wuwei, in the territory of Xiliang, and is actually only about 600 li away from the Ganzhou camp of the Fu'an Escort Agency.

Zhou Yan rode the "Night-Shining Jade Lion" through the night, arriving at this paradise where snow-capped mountains and forests complemented each other at dawn.

The manor and the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor are separated by a clear lake. Zhou Yan was taking a look around when suddenly two tiger roars echoed through the valley.

Zhou Yan's magnificent "Jade Lion Under the Night" was at a distance, but the horse was not alarmed. It snorted and pounded its hooves on the ground, a sign that it was about to turn tail and gallop away if it sensed something was wrong.

Zhou Yan gently stroked the neck of the "Jade Lion Under the Night" with his right hand, and the horse calmed down.

"Who dares to trespass on this mountain villa?"

As the tiger's roar subsided, a deafening sound echoed from the woods on one side of the mountain villa.

“Zhou Yan from Zhongdu has come to pay a special visit to Master Shi.”

He used his internal energy to make his voice heard. Although it could not compare to the lion's roar of the Vajra Sect monk Bao Lei during the battle of Shaoshi Mountain, his internal energy was still profound, and his voice was like thunder, booming loudly.

"He is our benefactor!"

An echo resounded from within the manor. In an instant, Zhou Yan saw Shi Bowei swiftly emerge from the manor's upturned eaves, his body leaning slightly forward, moving with the agility of a tiger. Following closely behind, another tall, slender figure darted out from the manor, covering a distance of several feet in a flash. Judging from his lightness skill, he was even superior to Shi Bowei.

The person who spoke from the forest also used his agility to come swiftly and swiftly.

The three of them, one in front and two behind, quickly approached each other.

Zhou Yan roughly guessed that of the five Shi brothers in The Return of the Condor Heroes, only three are currently alive, and the fourth and fifth brothers might be too young or even not yet born.

"Haha, my benefactor, how have you been?" Spearman said first.

"Greetings, Brother Shi. Thank you for your kind invitation." Zhou Yan dismounted, stepped forward, and returned the greeting with clasped hands.

“My benefactor, there’s no need for such formalities.” Shi Bowei was hearty and cheerful, his face beaming with joy. “Since arriving at the manor, I have often thought of you, my benefactor. This time, I will definitely stay at the manor for ten days or half a month. These are my second brother, Guan Jianzi Shi Zhongmeng, and my third brother, Jin Jia Shi Wang Shi Shugang.”

"I am Zhou Yan, and I greet you two heroes."

The second and third sons of the Shi family, who arrived one after another, hurriedly returned the greeting with a bow: "You're too kind, benefactor."

Shi Shugang, the Golden-Armored Lion King, said, "After my elder brother returned, he often mentioned our benefactor to us, saying that he was righteous and generous, and that his martial arts were superb. Today, having met him, I can see that he truly lives up to his reputation and is worthy of our respect."

Zhou Yan knew that among the five Shi brothers, the current Uncle Shi had gone hunting in the mountains when he was twenty years old and had a fortuitous encounter, learning profound internal martial arts. He then passed on the skills to his brothers. As a result, the five of them raised more and more wild animals, and the name of the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor gradually spread throughout the martial arts world. People in the martial arts world gave the five brothers a common nickname: "Tiger, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, and Monkey".

The man in front of him, Uncle Shi, was around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He must have been taught martial arts by a master at a young age, and his cultivation level was the best among the three brothers.

Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "Brother Shi, you flatter me."

"Haha, my benefactor is too modest. Come, let's go to the manor for a chat."

The situation was urgent, and Zhou Yan dared not waste any time. He said, "I have come here to ask you for a favor."

Spewer hurriedly replied, "We are ready to go through fire and water, even if it means death."

"Thank you, Brother Shi." Zhou Yan said, "The situation is urgent, so I'll speak frankly."

"Please speak freely, my benefactor."

Zhou Yan succinctly explained the predicament the escort agency was facing and the purpose of his trip.

Spewer said generously, "They are the 'Iron Falcons' of the Western Xia Kingdom. This is simple. I can't guarantee it if they are martial arts masters, but when it comes to dealing with cavalry, the tigers, leopards and lions of the manor are just the right thing to do. It's no problem to frighten the warhorses so much that their hooves go weak."

Zhou Yan was overjoyed, "Thank you!"

“My benefactor and I hit it off immediately. There is no need for thanks. Please come into the manor and wait for me. My two brothers and I will make our preparations and follow you to Ganzhou immediately.”

"Okay!"

The four traveled together, with the Jade Lion in the Night following behind. Zhou Yan asked, "Brother Shi is known as the 'Golden Armor Lion King,' so he must be an expert in taming lions. However, I have traveled all over the country and seen many ferocious beasts, but I have never seen a fierce lion."

Shi Zhongmeng laughed and said, "Tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves can be found in places like Guannei, Qilian Mountains and Qinling Mountains, but lions and elephants must be sold from Dali Kingdom and the Western Regions."

Zhou Yan understood that lions should be widely present in India at present, and the lions of the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor should have been obtained from the Western Regions.

When Zhou Yan entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, he saw a child who was not even ten years old, yet he could lift stone locks and play. Upon asking, he learned that the child was Shi Jiqiang, the fourth of the five Shi brothers and a powerful figure.

As for the youngest of the five brothers, he was still an infant. He visited the old manor owner through the introduction of Spears.

The old owner of the manor was a good talker and hosted a banquet. Although time was short, Zhou Yan spoke with composure and composure, without any anxiety on his face, which won the old owner's appreciation. The conversation was very pleasant.

Half an hour later, the three Shi brothers had gathered a total of two hundred tigers, leopards, and lions.

The manor is still under development, so it doesn't have the same grandeur as in the world of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," where Shi Bowei and Shi Zhongmeng could summon a hundred tigers and a hundred lions with a wave of their hands.

However, it's enough to solve the problem.

As the group set off, the beasts were ferocious and menacing, constantly emitting low growls. Yet, their ranks were orderly and perfectly disciplined. Even the "Night-Shining Jade Lion" dared not approach in the face of such a beastly group, appearing quite uneasy. Zhou Yan was amazed; such extraordinary people had appeared in the martial world.

Spohr knew the terrain of the Qilian Mountains like the back of his hand. The team moved diagonally along the mountainous terrain with its many gullies and ravines, speeding towards Ganzhou. As they marched, birds in the forest took flight and beasts scattered, creating a magnificent spectacle.

As dusk fell, the herd of beasts entered Ganzhou territory by night, steadily approaching the camp of the Fu'an Escort Agency.

……

Crimson clouds burned in the sky, quickly dispelling the last rays of night, while gyrfalcons circled overhead.

All the bodyguards and escorts of the Fu'an Escort Agency were hidden in the chaotic rock formation set up by Huang Rong.

Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, and Huang Rong were outside the formation.

Thanks to the solid foundation laid by Zhang Wangyue's teachings to the镖局镖师 (bodyguards) and 趟子手 (armymen) since the Mongol siege of Zhongdu, who practiced the formation of three to five people fighting in formation, the hundred men had initially mastered the eight formations of the "武穆遗书" (Wumu's Legacy) in the past two days. Under Huang Rong's guidance, they could move flexibly within the formations without losing their way.

With such strength and meticulous planning, Zhang Wangyue believed that if it weren't for the "Iron Falcons," Fu'an's team could easily handle a thousand or so ordinary people. However, the "Iron Falcons" were too formidable, and Zhang Wangyue still dared not be careless.

Hu Yanlei only had a superficial understanding of the mystical arts. Every time he looked back, he saw that the light in the chaotic rock formation was disordered and he could not see the figures of the more than one hundred people hiding there. While he was surprised, he was also full of anticipation for the battle that was about to take place. He admired Huang Rong to the point of prostration. She was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but she was very knowledgeable. She was indeed worthy of being Huang Yaoshi's daughter.

Huang Rong turned her gaze away from the gyrfalcon hovering low in the sky and smiled, "From this vantage point, the mysteries of the formation are laid bare. The gyrfalcon should soon attract the 'Iron Hawk'."

“That’s right!” Zhang Wangyue nodded.

"However, judging by the time, Chief Escort Zhou should be arriving soon, so I am still very optimistic about this battle."

"Luckily, there was Miss Huang."

Huang Rong smiled and said, "Chief镖头, please don't be so polite. Fu'an saved my life, and I should repay him sincerely. He is also a good friend of mine, but he is very stubborn. He saved me in the outskirts of Shuozhou and refused to take me with him. Fortunately, I didn't listen to him."

Zhang Wangyue smiled slightly. How could he not see that Huang Rong harbored feelings for Zhou Yan in her words? If Brother Zhou also had feelings for Huang Rong, then they would truly be a perfect match.

As the three were talking, a sudden gust of sand and dust rose in the distance, and Zhang Wangyue said, "The 'Iron Falcon' has arrived."

Huang Rong said, "Let me see."

With the distant mountain pass as a boundary, the first warhorse leaped out, followed closely by the second, the third, and the tenth. In just over ten breaths, the approaching cavalry was like a shadow that blotted out the sky, their roar tearing through the air and shattering the ground. They came in overwhelming numbers.

The cavalry at the front were like waves surging up, giving people a sense of power that could sweep away mountains.

Huang Rong's face was a little pale.

She finally understood what Zhang Wangyue meant when he said that facing the "Iron Hawks" was not simply a contest of martial arts. If a caravan encountered such armored cavalry in an open area, the enemy could finish them off with a single charge. Apart from someone as skilled as Zhou Yan, no one would survive.

Zhang Wangyue took a deep breath, thinking of the Yue Family Army. He had never heard from his father that General Yue had led an army against the Western Xia, but the fact that the Yue Family Army could fight against the Jin Dynasty's "Iron Pagoda" and achieve repeated victories against the "Iron Falcons" was enough to demonstrate the truth of the saying, "It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the Yue Family Army."

With lofty ambition, I'll feast on the flesh of the barbarians when hungry, and laughingly drink their blood when thirsty. How magnificent, General Yue!
The "Iron Falcon" arrived in an instant and stopped fifty paces away.

Fine horses from Hexi, cold-forged armor, exuding a murderous aura.

At the moment, a general holding a long spear and riding a jet-black charcoal steed stepped forward.

"Did you kill my scout?" the officer asked in a low voice, his eyes flashing with coldness.

"Yes." Zhang Wangyue held the octagonal bronze staff, his imposing manner surpassing that of his opponent.

The officer glanced at the jumbled rocks behind Zhang Wangyue, then looked away and said, "Hand over the caravan, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."

"Since I'm going to die anyway, why not take you down with me?" Zhang Wangyue said calmly.

Huang Rong scolded, "Shameless! You have quite the ability!"

"Heh, you'll see when you try." The officer chuckled arrogantly, then said to the burly cavalry captain behind him:
“Go and kill him, as a sacrifice for my scouts.”

(End of this chapter)